Interlaken or Bern?
 

Hello everyone,

I'll be staying in Grindelwald for 3 days in the beginning of August and I have 3 more days to spend elsewhere before leaving from Geneva Airport.

I'm not sure if it is better to do Grindelwald-Interlaken (so I can cover s specific area this trip) or Grindelwald-Bern (so I can see different places).

Is Interlaken similar to Grindelwald? In that case, Should I skip it and go straight to Bern? If you have better options let me know.

Also suggest things to do and day trips from these cities.

Thanks!

IMO, Interlaken is NOT similar to Grindelwald -- Grindelwald is in the mountains, Interlaken is on the lakes below those mountains. And FWIW, I'm not a fan of either! If going into the mountains, I'd go for Wengen or even Lauterbrunnen before Grindelwald, which can be overrun with tourbuses.

IMO, Bern is delightful, but I'm not sure I'd spend 3 days there if I was also spending 3 days in the Bernese Oberland. But since you tell us nothing of your interests, I can't imagine providing advice about how to divide your time.

A good guidebook, perhaps the Michelin Green, would probably be well worth the investment. And you might find some useful information in my trip report:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/

I'm mainly there for nature walks, lake cruises, cable car rides, etc. Not sure if I'm missing anything though?

In my last trip I went to Zurich, Lucerne, and Mt Pilatus before and loved it so this time I want to try something different.

I also read that Wengen was car-free and since we'll be driving there, it's not a good option.

Since I leave from Geneva Airport, I was looking for another place for the last 3 days that would be on my way there so I don't waste a lot of time commuting.

Thanks for linking your report, I'll also check it out.

I'd suggest you look through some of the trip reports posted, including this very recent one. If you are flying out of Geneva, why not consider Montreaux; check google maps for your easy train options from Montreaux to the Geneva airport. Trip report is here:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...rland-1668229/

I trust you realize that public transportation in Switzerland is extremely convenient and comfortable? You couldn't get me to drive there if you paid me -- I'd want to be able to enjoy every single bit of the stunning scenery.

I have not been to Montreaux, but I use Fodors and other resources for research, including booking.com. I suggest you visit that site, enter your search variables, and then view your options.

Don't assume that any particular hotel is sold out just because there is no availability on booking.com. In nearly every case, Booking only has access to a portion of a property's rooms. If you see some hotels that work for you, contact them directly. It's even possible you may be offered a slightly better rate than Booking.com.

First - do not use "engines" like Booking.com to search hotels in Switzerland there is a far easier and generally cheaper way. Go onto the LOCAL tourist office website. These have search engines for accommodation. Enter dates of stay and ALL available hotels come up. Plus these also include the possibility of choosing self catering accommodation as well as hostels. www.montreuxriviera.com is what you should be using for the Montreux/Vevey area. There are youth hostels - one in Montreux very close to the lake. These have rooms with private bathrooms and are generally very good here in Switzerland. You can also look on www.youthhostels.ch or on www.hostelworld.com You can book a hotel via the local tourist office site but I find that I get the best available rate simply by emailing the hotel in question. Normally a hotel will beat any other rate INCLUDING things like Hotels.com and Booking.com because then they do not have to pay a commission to those sites.

Second - Interlaken is a dreadful place. It used to be elegant but that was 40 years ago or so. Now, thanks to a policy from its tourist office to attract a certain type of tourist it is a mess. Litter in the streets, fast food outlets, unkempt gardens etc. It is a great place to change trains in but that is that. Bern is a lovely small city with a beautiful historic centre. The medieval streets are arcaded so if it is raining you stay dry while sightseeing. But you only need a few hours in Bern and you could visit Bern when driving from the Oberland to Montreux if you wished.

Wengen vs Grindelwald -- there is a LARGE parking garage at Lauterbrunnen. You get the train there for Wengen. so really driving is not an issue. You will have to park the car somewhere in Grindelwald too if you go there. Wengen is a lot smaller and a lot quieter. Has fewer cafés and restaurants than Grindelwald. Actually I prefer Grindelwald to Wengen mostly for that reason AND for the views which are stunning from Grindelwald. I even spent two weeks there once and had a wonderful time. But different people like different things.

I'm confused!

• With only 2 nights in Grindelwald, you have essentially no latitude for bad weather. Consider staying there at least 3 nights, or even better, 4. if the weather is bad, you can visit Bern from there. Or maybe I don't understand what you want from your time in Grindelwald?
• Skip Interlaken!
• Whether you can see what you want to see in Bern depends on what you want to see and do. 1 wanted 2 days there, and they were on-the-move-every-minute days. Same with Montreux. Same with Geneva.

I would absolutely NOT move from Grindelwald to a hotel in Interlaken. The two places are 35mns apart. If you want to see Interlaken (not much to see there aside from litter and fast food outlets) then spend an hour or so when you are connecting on the trains but don't waste time checking out of one hotel and checking into an other not to mention packing etc and unpacking.

Guys, thank you very much for your suggestions. Some hotels were non-refundable unfortunately (Interlaken) so now the trip is: 2 days in Grindelwald, 2 in Interlaken, 2 in Montreux and then I fly out of Geneva.

Is the Golden pass from Interlaken to Montreux (Interlaken - Zweisimmen - Montreux) worth it? It seems that is an hour more than the regular service train (Interlaken - Spiez - Visp - Montreux) so I'm thinking of going via the regular train to save this time.

Look up "sunk cost."

OR - "don't spoil the ship for a ha'penny of tar" !! In other words - you would be better off absorbing the cost of the non-ref. hotel in Interlaken and adding a night to Grindelwald and another night to Montreux. Consider it a lesson learned. Never make non-ref. bookings until you are sure you have your itinerary correct. And don't ruin your entire holiday by cutting short time in the mountains and adding time in Interlaken...

For the Goldenpass line Interlaken ost to Montreux. No - it is not all that scenic. The scenery is pretty, but lowish mountains, little villages with chalets etc. But nothing remarkable. Not at all as scenic as the section Luzern/Interlaken Ost for example. So if "time is of the essence" - another important phrase! - then go on the fast route Spiez/Visp/Montreux. In fact the Visp/Montreux train is quite scenic. You will see castles (a lot of them) and a wonderful waterfall (on the left) shortly after leaving Martigny.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time -- Switzerland is delightful! I mentioned sunk costs because I thought it was worth making sure you had considered your options -- which it seems you've done.

As for tips and suggestions, any I have are in the trip report I linked in up-thread. The only thing I would underscore is that the cost of a good guidebook will be nominal in comparison to the cost of your trip and could prove invaluable.

Grindelwald is very very nice. Above Grindelwald is First which has wonderful views over to the Eiger and Jungfrau etc. That is well worth going to. I would not bother with the Jungfraujoch especially in summer. Too many people and way too expensive for what it offers.

From Interlaken - make a day trip to Ballenberg. You can take a boat to Brienz from Interlaken Ost See (the boat pier on the river Aar). Then bus to Ballenberg. Ballenberg is a collection of buildings from all over the country, farm buildings, chalets etc. And has local craftsmen working too so you can see blacksmiths, weavers, charcoal burners, potters etc etc. The buildings are grouped by region and canton and there are restaurants reflecting the local food too. It is an amazing experience. Brienz is very pretty as well. Centre for wood working. See this for Ballenberg - www.ballenberg.ch

Montreux - the ch teau de Chillon is a must. Allow for two hours there and get the AudioGuide at the entrance gate. Additional cost is 6frs and it is well well worth it in terms of your understanding the castle which has a long and complicated history. The Chaplin's World museum at Corsier above Vevey is another must. Located in Charlie Chaplin's old home it is a very inter-active place. Personally I never liked his films but the museum has given me an understanding of what a wonderful man he was. You feel as though he will walk in through a door at any moment. If you like wine then the Vinorama at Rivaz is worth a visit. You can taste the Lavaux wines there and gain and understanding about the terroir of the Lavaux. The little village of St Saphorin next to Rivaz is a small gem. Either walk there or take the local train from Rivaz on your way back to Montreux.